Why do People Work For You?

Celebrity Staff and C&A Industries received notification that we have been selected as one the “Best Places to Work” in Omaha, Neb. for the fourth year in a row. This is an honor to win once, let alone four years running!

In my 17 years at C&A, I have witnessed tremendous growth and change. We have grown from a small company of less than 50 people to a mid-sized firm of almost 500. In the late 90s we were growing at such a rapid pace that it was hard to slow down and establish the infrastructure that has now made us a “great place to work.” The drastically low unemployment rate and high demand for employees in that time meant that our first priority was taking care of the “customer” and it wasn’t until the market stabilized a bit after the turn of the century that we had an opportunity to look at our internal customers — our employees.

Valentine’s Day Brings Gifts of Feedback

As I write this on Valentine’s Day, I am watching many a delivery come into our office. Large bouquets of flowers, cards with loving words, and personal deliveries from family members carrying balloons and gift bags all to say, “I love you, I care about you, I want you in my life, thoughts of our future together make me smile,” and so on. What kind of response do I see from the recipient? A warm glow and big smiles as co-workers come over to praise the sender on their choice with ooohs and aaaahs. It’s hard to be in a bad mood after all that isn’t it? What do you think happens to the interaction with the sender? It is probably a bit nicer, friendlier, maybe even more helpful? Look at what a message of love can do!

Let’s go Have Some Fun in the Sun!

Summer is here! Heat, humidity, and days when we all look out the window wishing we were out at a ball game, on the golf course, or out at the pool. Many of us save those beloved vacation/PTO days to use during the summer when the days are long and there is lots to do outside. And we should! We work hard all year to save up that time off so we can get out and enjoy some fun in the sun.

Jedi Mind Tricks at Work

Complaints at work. We’ve all got ‘em, we’ve all heard ‘em. Some of this might sound familiar.

Susie is always late. Bob talks too much. Joe makes a lot of mistakes and no one does anything about it. Anne uses her cell phone even though it is against policy. The complaints go on and on . . . and on and on. It’s easy to find problems and fault, isn’t it?

Hiring is Heating Up. Are You Prepared?

With each passing month, 2011 is looking more and more optimistic. News reports indicate unemployment is declining, the worst may be over for the housing market (in most parts of the country at least), and consumer confidence is slowing returning. In the business world, the turnaround means many of us who were forced to reduce staff or leave vacant positions unfilled the last two years will need to add employees to our staff.

Love… at Work?

No, not that kind of love! The month of February brings to mind Valentine’s Day and everything from love, your spouse, family, significant other, to those who are close to you. When we hear the word “love” we often think of our personal relationships; however, let’s look at this word in a different context. Love can be defined as a strong positive emotion of regard and affection, or getting pleasure from an activity like cooking, sports, or hobbies. So what about your career? What do you love at work?

Love is in the Air!

February is the month of love! At least that is what retailers tell us as we walk the aisles and see nothing but a sea of red and pink cookies, candies, flowers, cards, and gifts created to help us celebrate the “holiday” and remind us to show our “love” to those who mean the most to us.

Interviewing: First Step in Improvement? What is NOT working?

In my last blog post I shared that while there are some managers/execs who truly are interview pros, most of you aren’t trained in interviewing. Your core skills instead rest in your offerings to your business, yet a vast number of hiring managers still think they are interview experts.  So, now that we are all aware [...]

What Employers are Looking for as the Recovery Continues

The economy may be slowly recovering from the recession, but what does that mean for job seekers? You need to be aware of what makes you marketable and what makes you stand above the rest so you can highlight that experience.

Take a look at this data from a survey of 2,700 hiring and HR professionals recently conducted by CareerBuilder and USA Today:

What Not to Wear…to Work!

It is amazing how the warm weather can cause even the most sensible people to make the worst wardrobe decisions! We hear more complaints this time of year on dress code violations, both from employees and supervisors, than any other time of year. Yep, that means that your co-workers may be complaining about you! Not only do some feel it isn’t fair that another person is wearing something that violates the policy, but it can also cause distractions and conversations that can impact productivity and possibly your chances for promotions. Some studies say you have as little as 90 seconds to make a first impression, and in those 90 seconds it is purely how you look that counts.